


Little Man What Now?

by Devilc



Series: Batman/Green Arrow [2]
Category: DCU, DCU - Comicverse
Genre: Character of Color, Chromatic Character, Closeted Character, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-07
Updated: 2010-03-07
Packaged: 2017-10-07 19:10:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/68267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Devilc/pseuds/Devilc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>More lessons in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little Man What Now?

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote "An Object Lesson" and showed it to some friends, who said, "Well? What happened next." So I wrote this.

With a shaking hand, Connor reached for the phone and punched in the code that would connect him to Batman. It had been a week since their last encounter, a week of sleeplessness, jitters and nigh endless pacing for Connor. He couldn't even meditate properly, and that, more than anything had driven Master Jansen to distraction and worry.

"What is it, Connor? What is this burden you carry, that you hide from me? Why do you feel you cannot tell me?"

"I don't  it's nothing, Master. Nothing. Please," Connor replied, while inside he screamed, _I'm gay, Master Jansen. I should be able to tell you that, but I can't and that, just about as much as anything, has me sick and ashamed. I don't know what to do or who to talk to or what to say. I know you would be supportive and probably Gran, but I just can't, and I don't know why._

On the other end, someone picked up. Trying to keep his voice from shaking Connor spoke, "Number 2? This is number 8." UN protocol prevented them from using their real names when speaking over the JLA lines, yet another security precaution.

"Go ahead number 8." Came the cool response. Connor's heart sank.

"Um...er...C-can we talk? If you aren't too busy, that is."

"Yessss?" The voice carried a faint hint of annoyance.

"Can we talk about  about what happened last week?" The last bit came out as a rush.

Pause. "Go ahead."

"Um...face to face?"

A very long pause, a sigh, then: "Very well. Meet you in 10 minutes."

Hand visibly shaking, Connor put the receiver back in the cradle. Forcing himself to breathe slowly and evenly, he dressed and headed out to the barn. In a brief flash of light he was on the JLA's orbiting space station.

"You're two minutes and 47 seconds late" came a menacing voice from the shadows as he stepped off of the transport platform.

"S-sorry."

"You haven't slept a wink all week, have you?" Batman's voice carried a hint of amusement.

Connor shook his head in reply.

"Well, here we are. Talk."

"Could we  could we go someplace more...private?"

"Well...yes. I know what you are going to say, and if it will make you more comfortable to say it in the middle of nowhere, okay. But, you know, the others will find out in time."

The two of them teleported into a desert wasteland. About 50 yards away were the foundations of some long gone buildings and a lonely arched doorway of white marble. A few stunted trees huddled amongst the foundations.

"Where are we?" Connor asked.

"Metropolis ... Nevada. It's over 12 miles to the nearest paved road. Talk."

All of the hurt and rage and confusion of the past week solidified in Connor. As he untied his mask he said in a low, even voice, "Take your mask off. We should talk man to man."

"No. This is the man."

"No. I want to talk to the man. Nothing hidden, no place to hide. It was an object lesson, and a hard one, Batman, but one I think the man behind the mask took a little pleasure in giving too. Here I am; this is me, Connor Hawke. My mother abandoned me when I was 13 and took up with an abusive arms dealer, I barely knew my father, I'm broke, multiracial, a so called superhero, and (his voice faltered) I'm gay. There, that's it. You owe me. You owe me. I want to talk to the man, not the icon."

There was a long pause. Batman's steely blue eyes bored in to Connor, but he met them with a resolute green stare of his own, refusing to be cowed. The breeze picked up, whipping dust.

Then, perhaps liking what he saw in Connor's eyes, or his refusal to buckle, Batman's eyes softened, he drew a deep breath and murmured, "Your word, Connor. As you are a man of honor, you must never speak of this or I will destroy you, Connor. _My_ word on that."

"You have my word, Batman."

"It's Bruce, Connor." And with that, Batman did something he'd never done before, removed his mask for someone not of his inner circle. He paused and gave Connor a frank stare, as if expecting something.

Connor was prepared for a scarred or deformed visage, not one so classically handsome as this. Through a mouth gone suddenly to cotton he blurted, "God, you're handsome."

A small grin twisted the full lips, "I usually have that effect on people."

Connor blushed as he replied, "Well, if I looked like you...I'd protect my face, too."

This comment gave Bruce pause. Then a light dawned in his eyes, "You really have no idea who I am, do you?"

Connor drank in the words. Bruce's voice was different from Batman's, warm and mellow. Gathering his thoughts he replied, "No. How could I? I spent the last 6 years in a monastery."

"Very well. I had...loving parents who were (and here the deep bass faltered) murdered when I was a boy. I had a lonely childhood, no one really, except for one loyal friend. When I was 18, I began my training in earnest. It took several years of study, much of it in the Far East for me to reach the levels I knew I would need to enact my plan. It was there, too, that I realized that - that I like women and men."

"Was it hard for you, when you realized?"

"No, not really. Not all cultures are as prejudiced as American culture. And frankly, I don't give a damn about the opinions of others."

The two of them strolled silently for some time, deep in thought. They ended up under one of the trees, a rather sorry juniper. By that time, Connor had thought of his next question.

"Bruce, can I ask you something personal?"

"As if this whole conversation hasn't been personal?" The wily eyes glinted with amusement.

"Um...how old were you when you? I mean, Wally and Kyle were 16 when "

"Twenty three. One of my senseis insisted. Bought me the services of a woman at the House of the Jade Eye. Said it would open a whole new vista. It did. I now had a name for what I was sublimating," he chuckled. "But it was new and frightening. Until that point I had been an entirely asexual person, so single-minded was my drive, my goal. Some weeks after my awakening, I found my self ... attracted ... to another student, Jiro, studying with me under the same sensei."

"So he was your first"

"No. I've never had sex with a man."

"But!" Connor could not keep the shock from his face.

Closing the gap between them, Bruce reached out and caressed Connor's cheek. His blue, blue eyes bored into Connor's startled greens  eyes filled with suppressed hope  and he murmured, "You were right, Connor, it was a hard object lesson. But you aren't the only one who's had sleepless nights," before gently kissing Connor full on the mouth.

Within seconds the two of them were on the ground, locked together and straining. Lips that had too long gone hungry demanded sustenance. Exploring hands caressed the sculpted surfaces of each other's bodies and delighted in what they discovered.

"Mmmf! Connor, Connor, we really shouldn't"

"I know, I know," Connor managed to gasp. Neither of them stopped.

Like curious-shy teenagers they kissed for some time, eager-hesitant in their explorations. Gradually, their clothing was removed and they rolled about, heedless of dirt and scratches, drinking in the moment.

In unison, hesitantly, their gentle hands reached for the other's member. Connor had never felt so right. Their kiss deepened as ticking and teasing turned into all out pumping. Waves of pleasure coursed through Connor. He could not tell if the involuntary shuddering he felt was his or Bruce's; he wasn't quite sure where his body ended and Bruce's began  the pleasure of touching and being touched, it was all the same. Connor felt Bruce swelling in his grasp as a tremendous pressure built in his loins. He couldn't hold back. He didn't want to hold back. Just as he let loose, Bruce's hot spurts filled his hands.

The two of them lay in each other's arms gasping, sweaty, dusty for several minutes. Then Connor opened his eyes to meet Bruce's eyes, which were alive with pleasure. A moment passed and another emotion, discomfort, clouded that handsome face. His kiss bruised lips tightened.

"Connor ... as much  as much as today was...What I'm trying to say is that I don't think we should have a relationship. It wouldn't work. I'm not ready for one."

Connor kissed Bruce gently on the cheek before replying, "I understand. And yeah, a relationship probably wouldn't work. I'm not as single minded as you. But ... no regrets, right?"

"Never."

They dressed in silence and returned to the ship. Wonder Woman and a few other members of the team were there. Connor was aghast. So much for being subtle or private.

"What happened to you?!" Shock and amazement were writ large over Wonder Woman's face.

"Nothing of interest to you." Gone were the warm and gentle tones of Bruce. This was Batman.

"Nothing of interest? You two are covered in dirt and scratches, and you, Green Arrow have a twig in your hair," she said, pulling it out. "Now, what happened? According to the station's log you were gone for over an hour."

Cool anger frosted Batman's eyes as he began, "I said, it"

Connor cut him off. "Well, if you really want to know, we spent the time naked and rolling around together in the Nevada desert."

At that, Flash, Green Lantern, and Aquaman burst out laughing. "Too cool, man, too cool," Kyle howled. "Man, I wouldn't have the balls to do that in a week of Sundays."

"Men!" Wonder Woman mock huffed, and with a smile, left the room.

Connor chatted with the others for a while then returned to his grandfather's ranch. That night, for the first time in a while, he fell into an easy, restful sleep.


End file.
